New Assembly bill offers option to choose schools

Mar. 1, 2007

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A new Nevada Assembly bill would enable parents to send their children to the public school of their choice, but lawmakers would have to come up with the bus fare.

The measure was introduced on behalf of the Clark County School District by the Assembly Committee on Education because the district wants to offer school choice but needs money to transport students, district lobbyist Craig Kadlub said.

"We know there are people who want greater choice, but we can't do it for free," Kadlub said Wednesday. "If you don't provide transportation, you don't provide choice. It all depends on whether the Legislature wants to fund it."

AB211 would allow, but not require, school districts statewide to start school choice. Also, the measure would require the Legislature to appropriate money to transport students. The bill gives no dollar figure for the costs.

State schools chief Keith Rheault said the bill appears to be the first statewide school choice measure introduced at the Legislature. He added the transportation costs could be steep, but doubted they are a "poison pill" deliberately placed in the measure to kill it.

Gov. Jim Gibbons is a "strong supporter" of school choice, spokesman Brent Boynton said. But the governor first wants to see details before supporting such a measure, Boynton said.

Gibbons' proposed $6.8 billion budget does not recommend setting aside any money for transporting children to the schools of their choice.

Terry Hickman, executive director of the Nevada State Education Association, wondered how legislators could pay for school choice when they have not found the $1 billion in additional funds that a study determined was needed to support public education adequately.

"We need to take care of that before we launch onto something else," he said. "People like to think money isn't an issue, but it is."